Water ingress.

[scrancat]

Hi. Looking for some advice. Getting van put away for the winter this weekend and I noticed water at floor level at rear corner.
Always had van serviced and damp readings have been ok.
Think I may be the cause!
Yesterday I gave the van a good wash. Never used a pressure washer but spent a good couple of hours with a hose and buckets of water.
Its a bailey ranger gt60 500/5. Water was in rear corner under seat storage area.
Could water be from an issue with the awning rail or maybe the light unit?
I know awning rails can be problematic but it’s the non awning side if that makes sense.
No smell of damp and water seemed fresh.
Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Damian]

Bailey vans generally do not suffer with awning rail ingress problems.
The most common areas that do cause problems are the roof strap or cracks in the rear panel.
Water could also be getting in where the wiring for the rear lights goes through the van wall.

 

[scrancat]

Thanks for the reply. Given your info my best guess would be water getting in through the rear lights. I had to replace a bulb in the summer and thinking about it the gasket was not in the best of condition.
Water certainly seems to be only at floor level and has dried up quite well today with a fan heater. No sign of damp or spongy floor or walls.
Hopefully this is an easy fix for me and a lesson not to clean to much round seals with a hose!
I’m guessing roof strap issues or a cracked panel would show signs of water higher up?
Thanks again!

 

[otherclive]

Or is it possibly be from the Thetford flush or cassette door seals. They will be near the rear offside?

 

[audiorob]

I presume that your rear light clusters use those rubbery 'well nuts' in the panel that the unit screws into. Worth checking that those are in place as they can split and push though. For me it's a yes to bucket and sponges but a no to pressure washer with vents, lockers, seals and decals vulnerable to water under pressure.

 

[Craigyoung]

I would never use a pressure washer on the caravan , a normal garden hose with a Hozelock kinda gun on the end kind of system set to a fine spray .

 

[scrancat]

I’m thinking the light cluster has been the problem. Nuts had split and pushed through when I replaced bulb but I also sourced and replaced them.Now thinking the seal may not be water tight due to the gasket being a bit worn (couldn’t find replacements for them.) I’ll dry out completely with a fan heater and check cluster at weekend when I’ve got a bit of time. Thanks.

 

[scrancat]

Seems to be getting worse after rainfall last night. Continuing with a fan heater but not sure what to do next. Water seeping through between wall and floor at back corner. I’m assuming this is new water and can’t still be residual water from the weekend?

 

[otherclive]

Seems to be getting worse after rainfall last night. Continuing with a fan heater but not sure what to do next. Water seeping through between wall and floor at back corner. I’m assuming this is new water and can’t still be residual water from the weekend?

If you definitely think it’s a light cluster seal it with duct tape and buy some new seals for both sides of the van. Alternatively see if you can find a mobile technician or take the van to a caravan service center. With their wider knowledge of caravans they should be able to pinpoint the source of the leak and effect a temporary repair until a longer term solution is completed.

 

[Dustydog]

Buy one of these. I use one and for the price the quality and readouts very good. Damian’s will be far more expensive but for your needs this will suffice.
Have you lifted the limo in the sffected area? That will need drying too.
Back to one of Clive’s earlier posts is your toilet / shower near the problem area?
Toilet tissue can be a good indicator of weep points.
If the ingress is very low down then I’d start with fully resealing and new gaskets on both light clusters as suggested by Audio rob.
Keep us posted and good luck.

 

[Anseo]

On more than one occasion I have used drain tracing dye to identify the source point of a leak.

Can involve a bit of time and patience but worked every time.

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[scrancat]

Back for advice again!
Haven’t been able to do much due to work and weather. Noticed last night that water appeared at bottom corner almost immediately after rain.
Managed to secure a sheet of tarpaulin to top of van and continued to dry out. I haven’t noticed any more water since then so I’m thinking now it may be the roof strap.
Would this be quite easy to re seal during dry weather?
Is it possible to put sealant straight on top of suspect area if it is dry and clean or is it better to work with mastic?
Thanks.

 

[otherclive]

Back for advice again!
Haven’t been able to do much due to work and weather. Noticed last night that water appeared at bottom corner almost immediately after rain.
Managed to secure a sheet of tarpaulin to top of van and continued to dry out. I haven’t noticed any more water since then so I’m thinking now it may be the roof strap.
Would this be quite easy to re seal during dry weather?
Is it possible to put sealant straight on top of suspect area if it is dry and clean or is it better to work with mastic?
Thanks.

If it is the roof joint seal just putting sealant over it would only be a temporary measure at best, until the seal is remade with mastic, assuming that the panel is okay. Last December my van developed small cracks on the top of the rear panel and they were sealed with white weatherproof self adhesive tape looking like duct tape. It stayed in place and stopped water coming in until the panel was replaced in May.

 

[Dustydog]

If you do remove the roof joint strap ensure both surfaces are absolutely clean and dry. Solvents won’t budge the original stuff so elbow grease is the best solution. Use an approved caravan sealant such as
Sikaflex 512 sealant
Ordinary sanitary ware mastic will be a waste of time.
Anyway before any action do your very best to ascertain the source of the leak. Good luck.

 

[petek20303]

Sorry for posting on an older thread but I was just wondering did you manage to resolve this issue and what was the cause? I have a 2009 Ranger 500/5 and have exactly the same issue. I got the caravan back from storage the other day and have it a quick wash with a bucket and sponge and rinsed off using a low pressure hosepipe (I only washed the sides and didn't touch the roof). Whilst cleaning inside the van yesterday I noticed the inside floor was damp in the very back o/s/r corner under the seat storage area. After lifting the lino this appears very fresh and as though it has only just started. I have dried the area out with a fan heater but when it rained again last night the floor is now soaking wet again. The water can be seen seeping in at the very back corner under where there is a wooden supporting piece. Any suggestions please, we are due to go away in it tomorrow!

 

[otherclive]

Look over the rear exterior, roof and rear sides to see if there are any obvious areas of concern. You won’t sort it by tomorrow so I would buy some white duct tape and apply it to potential leak sources. There are stronger mire adhesive tapes but they are intended for permanent repairs. Then when you get back you can give it more time to investigate. My last van had duct tape over rear rear panel cracks for several months before a new rear panel was fitted. It stopped the ingress though.